Liana Liberato

Liana Liberato Biography

Liana Daine was born on August 20, 1995 in Galveston, Texas. She was just three years old when she started taking classes with Broadway Bound. I started Liana in musical theater when she was three because I wanted her not to be afraid in front of people,” her mom said. Seven years later, she performed in their show “Guys & Dolls.” Ten-year-old Liana Liberato has been busy since the beginning of 2005. All of her training and hard work over the years is finally paying off. She first booked an episode of Cold Case, shortly followed by an episode of CSI: Miami, and most recently, an episode in the upcoming, highly-anticipated series The Inside. In between the three of them, she managed to film a commercial for Sappella Clothing. Liana has been in this business for many years and her break is finally coming. Her parents are incredibly proud of their daughter.

Liana’s first significant role came in “Galveston: The Musical” when she was 7. The work was a bit of a grind, as rehearsals combined with schoolwork to make for some incredibly long days, but Liana loved it.

“The show had 26 total performances, and she never missed a line, never complained about being tired,” her mom said. “She was a real trooper.” Last summer, Liana attended a weeklong acting camp in California, and that’s where she attracted the attention of Central Artists. Charmed by Liana’s “great charisma and a very natural delivery,” the agent asked Liana to travel to Hollywood.

The Liberatos decided to take the plunge. Liana's mom lined up an apartment at an extended-stay complex in the Hollywood Hills and in February, she and Liana flew to California. The complex where they stayed is just around the hill from the famous Hollywood sign. Liana arrived on a Wednesday and had an audition for an episode of “Cold Case” the next day. By Friday of that week she had her first role on TV. Her mom couldn’t resist bragging. She sent a postcard to a list of casting directors with a picture of Liana and a simple message: “Flew in Wednesday. Auditioned Thursday. Booked Friday. ‘Cold Case’ airs March 27.” The next audition wasn’t quite that easy. Liana tried out for a part on an episode of “CSI: Miami” on a Thursday, and she didn’t hear back for several days. Liana's dad was there for a visit that weekend, and he remembers his daughter spending a lot of time in tears.

“I said, ‘the mother in this show has dark hair, so what it probably is, is that you have the wrong color hair,’” he said. Liana was not consoled. She wanted that part. “On Wednesday, her agent called,” her mother remembered. “She said, ‘I’ve got some bad news. She’s going to have to color her hair.’”

And so Liana was 2-for-2. She had wrapped up six days of shooting on “Cold Case” and now she had eight days of shooting for “CSI: Miami.” Liana smiles when she talks about working with “CSI: Miami” star David Caruso.

“He got me a hat,” she said.

Caruso’s autograph is one of two Liana obtained during her time in Hollywood. The second came from Hillary Duff, star of the Disney Channel’s “Lizzy McGuire.” While still working on “CSI: Miami,” Liana landed a tryout for a situation comedy starring Jane Leeves, the actress who played Daphne on “Fraser.” The producers liked Liana, but her parents were worried that she might be a bit young for the part. The character was 13. In the end, the producers opted for an older actress, but there were no hard feelings. Through it all, the Liberatos have plodded along, feeling a bit like the “Beverly Hillbillies,” truly oblivious to the way things are supposed to be done. Liana's mother remembers a conversation with a Hollywood veteran concerning their wild ride.

“She said, ‘I just want to shake you; you just have no clue what a big deal this is,’” she recalled. “She said Liana just has a little star following her around making things work for her.”

Liana didn’t see much of the trauma on “Cold Case” until she saw the episode on television. When she was playing the scene, her dad said, Liana was looking at a blank screen. Her tears were a complete act. But for Harris, who was among the Galveston fans watching Liana’s appearance, the episode contained some heart-wrenching moments. It was hard to separate the actress from the role, particularly toward the end when Liana’s character had to watch a lynching.

“It was very upsetting for me,” Harris said. “Here was this little girl I cared about, and she was in such a terrible situation.”

It won’t be any easier with “CSI: Miami.” In that show, Liana plays the 8-year-old daughter of an abusive mother.

She said she has no regrets about the decision to take Liana to California. “I’d hate to be the mom who had to say, ‘You almost went to L.A.,’” she said.

Her uncanny memory has helped to propel Liana into rare company in Hollywood, where her first two tryouts landed roles on primetime television dramas, and her third brought a personal telephone call from the executive producer of a situation comedy. Liana is a bright and talented performer and her resume will continue to expand.